M-1 Challenge Middleweight Champion Ramazan Emeev vs. Anatoly Tokov to Headline M-1 Challenge 73: Battle of Narts

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (October 13, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced a super showdown between M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev and knockout artist Anatoly Tokov to headline the December 9th M-1 Challenge 73: Battle of Narts in Ingushetia, Russia.

M-1 Challenge 73 will be streamed live from Ingushetia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

“The fight between Ramazan Emeev and Anatoly Tokov is the most anticipated fight in Russian MMA, “M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “Both Tokov and Emeev are fighters of the elite level, not only in Russia, but in the world. This fight is being held to achieve our main goal: to make the most spectacular match-ups between the strongest MMA fighters of our time.”

Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0), who was the M-1 Global 2015 Fighter of the Year, returns to action after suffering a torn ligament in his elbow, which forced the Azerbaijan native to withdraw from his scheduled M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship fight with Alexander Shlemenko.

The 29-year-old Emeev, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia, first captured the vacant M-1 Challenge middleweight title in 2012, taking a 5-round unanimous decision from Mario Miranda at M-1 Challenge 35, and he successfully won the rematch five months later at M-1 Challenge 38, stopping Miranda via strikes in the third round.

In 2014, Emeev lost his title belt to Vyacheslav Vasilevsky by way of a fourth-round knockout (punches) at M-1 Challenge 51 in 2014. The resilient Emeev, however, bounced back to regain his throne as M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, using a choke hold to submit Vasilevsky in the opening round at
M-1 Challenge 56.

Emeev has successfully defended his title against Luigi Fioravanti, who was unable to continue after four rounds at M-1 Challenge 63, and this past April Emeev defeated Brazilian Maiquel Falcao (see picture above) at M-1 Challenge 65 in the first round by submission (choke).

Tokov (24-2-0, M-1: 9-1-0), 26, is a former ABC champion who fights out of Stary Oskol, Russia. He is riding a 17-fight win streak, including knockouts of Enoc Solves Torres at M-1 Challenge 54 and Albert Duraev at M-1 Challenge 46.

A feared striker with tremendous power, Tokov has stopped 14 of his 24 victims to date, resulting in him developing into one of MMA’s most spectacular fighters and a true rising MMA star throughout Russia and Europe.